Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-07-09
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, July, 4, 1887,

sion OF the Fidelity National Bank OF
Cincinnati, has acted with a prompt
ness and vigor becoming the dignity
and responsibility of the Govern
.ent, and the catastrophe is not
without its lessons and uses, as it
shows the unquestioned superiority
of our National banking system over
all others in the world, for ours is be-
ing rapidly recognized as the model
for most civilized nations. When,
for instance, this bank suspended,
what man in the United States
stopped for a moment to examine
whether or not he had one of its
bills? realizing the fact that if all
the banks of the country were to
break in a day, the Government
would be fully responsible as long as
a United States bond is good for its
face value, and most of them are
worm q great zeal more.
There is quite a ripple in the great
and good Civil Service Commission
over q somewhat embittered disa-
greement about the question of pay
ing the expenses of the several local
civil service boards while on their
recent junketing visit to this city,
but l hardly think the controversy
will be as important as the proverb-
ial tempest in a teapot. How sad
to see that even this august body is
subject to the same intirmities of tenn
per as are ordinary people!
The changes in the different De-
partments incident to the beginning
of the new fiscal year were not nu-
merous or important. Twenty
Treasury clerks.were dismissed, also
seven in the Quarter Master Gener-
al's Office and forty employed in the
Government Printing Ofice-most
of the discharges being made on ac.
count of the appropriation bill failing
to provide for a continuance of the
incumbents. The order consolidat.
ing revenue districts went into effect
at the same time and also the q
per cent reduction in salaries of AS
sistant District Attorneys; there
were a few minor clerical changes, in
nearly all the Departments.
Under the beneficent methods Of
our honest upright Democratic AID
ministration the reduction of the
public debt continues steadily-tht
amount the month of June being
about $4,000, 900, which is a pretty
good showing.
Of57 clerks in the Quarter Master
Generals Office, who We're examined
under the new Civil Service rules
six men and two women failed toat'
tain the minimum of 70 out a posi-
BILE 100. The following fact is re.
garded of much significance by the
Commission. Before the eXamina.
ton, the Quarter Master Genera.
had made markings for efficiency
and kept them secret, for comparison
with those of the examiners and il
turned out that both markings were
substantially the samoa result
highly satisfactory to the Commits
sion, as it tends to d~isprove the
charge of favoritism in the ratings
During the last fiscal year the Pen.
sion Office issued Ill $40 certificates
which is said to be the best showing
ever made by the bureau. 1t is also
said that there is not a case in thu
Pension Office that has not been eX
amined in that time and the proper
action taketh to prepare it for tina
settlement-a record that is exceed
ingly gratifying to the officials o
that bureau.
If dynamite bomb had exploded
in the corridors of the Patent Ofic,
the other day, there could not hav,
been kindergarten commotion among
the army of Republican clerks thai
when it was made public, that, afte
a patient investigation, the account
of Levi Bacon, a protege of Zacl
Chandler, who died a few days since
after having been many years tinan
cial clerk of the Patent Ofice-dy
ing in the position-were short owe
$4,000. Who can blame these Re
publican clerks holding a eulogisti
meeting over the dead defaulter, fo
they knew he held their due bills 70
thousands of dollars unlawfully ad
vanced to them out of the publ
funds? Many of the clerks will nc
have any salary in three months, a
Secretary Lamar will deduct there
from their dues. The bondsmen wi